Windows Mobile - a rant

[AlmondJoy]

So I was in a T-mobile store the other day looking at smartphones. I pickup up a Wing and tried to use the camera. I suddenly got a black screen with the following message (paraphrasing):

Out of memory. Unable to run camera application. Please close other running applications. Use Start > Settings > System > Memory > Running Applications to manage your applications.

There are two things that really irritate me about this.

1. I shouldn't have to manage memory myself, and I shouldn't have to manage "other running applications." It's a phone, for Pete's sake, not a desktop computer.

2. Going through that many menus to get the camera application to work is ridiculous. And once I start those steps, the message will be gone and unless I have memorized the steps, I'm going to have to use trial and error to find the right menus.

The only reason Windows is on phones must be because of strong arm tactics by Microsoft. I find it difficult to believe that people would voluntarily choose it. As much as I like the phone, I will not buy it if it has Windows on it.

[Alex]

Almond, I totally agree with you. I feel that Windows is a terrible operating system, especially for phones. I'd rather have linux or mac os x. They are more user-friendly platforms. I'm not sure what kind of deal T-Mobile has with Microsoft but I'm sure greed is the only thing keeping T-Mobile from using another operating system on their smartphones.

[anfrey]

i thought the dash had a camera button next to the spacebar...

[kcladygemini]

The dash does have a camera key by the space bar. It's also the system key. On the Wing, the system key is shared with Tab. I hadn't noticed until now that the Wing doesn't have a camera button. The camera button on my Dash is the only way I ever access the camera cuz you guys are all right, that's way too many steps to have to go through to access or to end an application. That's probably the one thing I Like about the BlackBerry you pretty much just get a list of stuff it does and pick what you need without having to go over the river and thruogh the woods. lol

[anfrey]

lol you got that right... i absolutely love my pearl and how easy it is to access and switch between my apps

[greenblood]

WM is good for non-phone pda, bad for phone
this is a reason why I put MDA aside, and use 2 devices back
HP HX2495 is a sweet pda, esp it has CF support, which can hold 16GB of data

[Vision77]

I wasn't a big fan of Windows Mobile until I got an Unlocked 8525 and learned of the vast resources of xda-developers.:D

[Railroader]

Almond, I totally agree with you. I feel that Windows is a terrible operating system, especially for phones. I'd rather have linux or mac os x. They are more user-friendly platforms. I'm not sure what kind of deal T-Mobile has with Microsoft but I'm sure greed is the only thing keeping T-Mobile from using another operating system on their smartphones.


I like Windows myself, it's a great OS to me. As far as greed, the iPhone stuff will prove Apple is no better than Microsoft :)

[anfrey]

I'd rather have linuxOpenmoko.org Portal Site (http://www.openmoko.org)

[SoMuch2S@y]

meh, Windows isn't great, but with everything that can be done to these types of phones, I can't complain.
I hope this isn't your first time trying a WM device, I wouldn't really base my opinion on a store demo phone that has been played with by every Tom, D.ick and snotty nosed kid off the street! No surprise that there was a memory issue problem LOL And a lot of the people that use this type of phone actually prefer running all their applications themselves, not a big deal to me at all.
As far as the complaint about access to the camera, well a minor registry edit can fix that.

[SoMuch2S@y]

I like Windows myself, it's a great OS to me. As far as greed, the iPhone stuff will prove Apple is no better than Microsoft :)

yah at least we can run 3rd party apps! :D

[anfrey]

yah at least we can run 3rd party apps! :D
AND change the battery!!

[Railroader]

AND change the battery!!

Lol TRUE!! Man, 79 bucks just to change your battery, which can take up to three days. Now, if you can't be without your iPhone that long, they have loaners, for 29 bucks..what a bargain! :D Geez, and they call Microsoft greedy, Apple takes the cake on the iPhone thing!

[dsigma6]

I shouldn't have to manage memory myself, and I shouldn't have to manage "other running applications." It's a phone, for Pete's sake, not a desktop computer..
You are why Apple is still in business.

As to the camera app, how is it confusing??

[Matt]

I don't have a problem with the Dash cam, but WM6 does seem to have a memory leak. I soft reset every night. I start with around 22k and by the end of the day I am at 9k. That's just with using messaging and phone. So, I am not sure where the memory goes.

[dsigma6]

Yea, the leak is more like a sieve. I talked about it in numerous posts, as the ONLY reason I'm not on WM6. It's really pathetic.

[Matt]

The WM6 Sprint PPC-6800 (Mogul) has the same issue.

[redwildebeast]

1. I shouldn't have to manage memory myself, and I shouldn't have to manage "other running applications." It's a phone, for Pete's sake, not a desktop computer..
you have obviously not used many WM devices. do you want the phone to manage everything in the memory??? i dont think so. you would never be able to find anything.

2. Going through that many menus to get the camera application to work is ridiculous. And once I start those steps, the message will be gone and unless I have memorized the steps, I'm going to have to use trial and error to find the right menus..
the only reason it said that is because so many people used the device before you and didnt close the running applications. if it were yours all those apps wouldnt be running in the background and you would n ever get that message.

The only reason Windows is on phones must be because of strong arm tactics by Microsoft. I find it difficult to believe that people would voluntarily choose it. As much as I like the phone, I will not buy it if it has Windows on it.
i voluntarily choose windows mobile because it is very useful. IF YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THE DEVICE. i am pretty much walking around with a computer in my pocket. most people are a little intimidated and just flat out dont understand windows mobile devices the first time they spend 5 minutes playing with a demo phone. but spend more than a few minutes with one and you will start to understand why so many people use WM.